For us Newbees

[JackM]

Been chatting with my mentors, comparing their thoughts, along with watching the board here.  (Things sure pick up April or so)

As many of you know I got two packages and started them in medium boxes.  Had them about a month now, being new, not sure of what a normal not perfect brood pattern looks like.  Pictures say much, but they always seem to be perfect examples of what the author is trying to show.  No, no pics I keep forgetting.

So I had been noticing the one hive carrying out quite a few mature dead brood, heads chewed off.  Brood pattern when I got in was scattered, new eggs spattered, not grouped, the queen was wandering around more than anything I never did see her lay.  I also saw an empty queen cell.  Now I learned they can just make them so not to worry, but still the brood was spotty and half or less of what the other hive I have has done in the same time and conditions. 

Assumption, bad queen.  Such is life.  Choices? Requeen, tough it out and give her more time, or a split. 

Being a beginner and having a queen that isn't doing so well I choose the split.  Because I will get to learn, watch and enjoy the process of them making their own queen, possibly getting in some of the local feral bee genes too.  After discussion with Chief Mentor, I got a nuc together, made a jar cap feeder hole in the top so a feeder just sits in, and took the frame with the errant queen out and put it in the nuc and a frame of brood and workers from the other good hive to bolster their numbers.

Of course I made sure and found a frame with new eggs in it AND marked that frame so I knew for sure which one could possibly raise a queen.

One thing we did not discuss was how grouchy the queenless hive will get.  I have been able to handle them barehanded and not suffered any stings.....yet.  (Almost want a sting on my one thumb joint to see how it helps arthritis.)

Another point of discussion, our main flow starts in a month or less, so I should be just getting queen right about the time of the major flow.  Once I am queen right and sure she lays well, I can off the first one and combine hives being back where I was, just having the insurance of a queen in hand as a backup until I am sure.

[VolunteerK9]

Hmm..you split a month old package? IMHO , you may have jumped the gun a tad. Some package queens take a little while to kick into gear hence the spotty pattern. The one empty queen cup is nothing to worry about-dozens of capped ones are. Who knows, it might work but even if your queen started laying immediately, there has only been one brood turn around.

15 days for the queen to hatch
+/- 7 days for her to mate and begin laying
21 days for her  brood to hatch

[applebwoi]

I agree with volunteer that you may have been a bit hasty.  Sometimes a new queen won't lay a perfect pattern.  Also I wouldn't wish for a sting. Certainly they will come and I hope you're wearing a hood, if not gloves. It would be a bummer to have the first sting in the face.